Opposition censure motion against Chamberlain’s
conduct of the war; rejected by 281 to 200, but over 30 government
MPs vote for it.

09/05/1940

Age for conscription in Britain is
raised to 36.

10/05/1940

Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
resigns and is replaced by the First Lord of the Admiralty,
Winston Churchill, who forms a coalition government from all
three main parties.

11/05/1940

King signs proclamation canceling
the Whitsun holiday.

13/05/1940

The Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth
gives support to Churchill’s government by 2,413,000 votes
to 170,000. Churchill makes ‘blood, sweat, tears and toil’
speech. Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch royal family arrive in
London.

14/05/1940

The British Secretary of State for
War, Anthony Eden calls for volunteers to form the Local Defence
Volunteers force (LDV).

15/05/1940

An official announcement by the British
government says that the weekly butter ration will be reduced
from 8oz to 4oz per head.

21/05/1940

Its announced that over 250,000 men
enrolled into the LDV in just the first 24 hours.

23/05/1940

Sir Oswald Mosley and other British
fascists arrested. 76 IRA men arrested in Northern Ireland.

General Sir John Dill is appointed
Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir Edmund Ironside becomes
C-in-C, Home Defence. Empire Day in Britain is declared as a
national day of prayer. Coastal towns from Great Yarmouth to
Folkestone are declared evacuation areas.

27/05/1940

The British sugar ration is reduced
from 12oz to 8oz per head.

01/06/1940

All signposts which might
be helpful to parachutists landing in Britain taken down. Unemployment
in Britain falls 92,000 in May to 881,000, giving a total fall
of 611,000 in a year.

03/06/1940

All aliens and stateless persons living
in Britain are forbidden to leave home between 10:30pm and 6am.
Churchill orders the setting up of commando forces to be used
for raiding occupied Europe.

04/06/1940

Churchill tells Commons 'We shall
fight on the beaches, in the fields, in the streets and in the
hills. We shall never surrender.' Holiday camps are banned within
10 miles of east and south-east coasts of England and Isle of
Wight.

05/06/1940

Home Defence commander Ironside announces
the creation of the ‘lronsides’, small groups of
highly mobile, armed men for defence against parachutists.

06/06/1940

Production of hundreds of household
goods banned in Britain. All Germans and Austrians living in
UK ordered to surrender their wireless sets.

11/06/1940

Householders in possession of Anderson
shelters must by law have them up and earthed by today.

12/06/1940

General Sir Edmond Ironside, C-in-C
of British Home Forces, completes plans for the defense of Britain
against German invasion.

17/06/1940

Churchill broadcasts to the nation,
saying the British will defend their island home and fight on
until the curse of Hitler is removed. Unemployment in Britain
falls 114,000 in May to new low of 767,000.

18/06/1940

Churchill speaks to Commons, declaring
‘let us so bear ourselves that . . . men will still say,
"This was their finest hour". General de Gaulle forms
the French National Committee in London and vows to continue
the war on the side of Britain, saying that ‘France has
lost a battle, but France has not lost the war.’

19/06/1940

The British Jockey Club announces
no more racing until further notice. ‘If invaders come’
leaflet is issued by Ministry of Information to all British
households.

20/06/1940

Both Houses of Parliament meet in secret
session to discuss Home Defence.

22/06/1940

Second London County Council evacuation
scheme completed, with 100,000 children moved to the West Country
and Wales.

26/06/1940

De Gaulle forms French Volunteer Legion
in Britain.

28/06/1940

British government recognises de Gaulle
as leader of ‘Free French’. Channel Islands demilitarised
and partially evacuated.

30/06/1940

Germans troops land on Guernsey in
the Channel Islands.

01/07/1940

German troops occupy Jersey
and complete the capture of the Channel Islands, the only British
territory ever captured by Germany during World War 2. British
milk price maximum is raised to 4d a pint.

02/07/1940

August Bank holiday cancelled in Britain.

04/07/1940

In the House of Commons, prime minister
Churchill declares,' I leave the judgment of our actions with
confidence to Parliament. I leave it to the nation and I leave
it to the United States. I leave it to the world and to history.'

08/07/1940

British Metropolitan Police to be armed
when guarding vulnerable positions.

09/07/1940

Commons passed War Credits of £1,000,000,000.
Tea rationing of 2oz per head per week introduced in Britain.

10/07/1940

Birthday Honours list includes only
service recipients. British Union Party (Fascists) banned.

14/07/1940

To celebrate Bastille Day, de Gaulle
and Free French lay wreaths at Cenotaph in London. Churchill
broadcasts that Hitler must recast his invasion plans. British
commandos launch a raid against Guernsey in the Channel Islands,
with negligible results.

15/07/1940

Unemployment in Britain up 60,431 in
June to 827,266, but still down half a million on June 1939.
Home Office bans fireworks, kite and balloon flying.

19/07/1940

General Sir Alan Brooke takes over
from Ironside as C-in-C, Home Forces. Ironside becomes a Field
Marshal.

21/07/1940

Czech government-in-exile established
in London under Dr. Benes.

22/07/1940

Lord Halifax rejects Hitler’s
‘peace proposals’. The Special Operations Executive
(SOE) is created in order to encourage resistance across occupied
Europe.

23/07/1940

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Kingsley
Wood announces the third War Budget, with income lax up 1d to
8s 6d in the £, beer up 1d a pint, purchase tax introduced
for first time at 33% on luxuries, war expenditure for the next
year estimated at £3,470,000,000. Secretary of War announces
that Local Defence Volunteers to be called the Home Guard, more
than 1,300,000 now enrolled.

01/08/1940

British Order in Council
declares the start of the grouse shooting season to be August
5th instead of the 12th.